Welcome to Arizona

Izwan went to Phoenix, Arizona in 2005. I personally do not think Phoenix is a popular destination for Malaysian tourists. So I thought it is really cool to have one of these.

And then I realised that Grand Canyon IS in Arizona. And that I myself have been to Arizona!! Lake Havasu, Grand Canyon etc. But not Phoenix, though. I am not sure if I have a fridge magnet that says "Phoenix". I have to check.

Where from: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
When: 2005
Who: malaysianmojo.blogspot.com
Wow Factor: #327

REVISIT : All Blacks #87

Revisiting the All Blacks New Zealand magnetto. I remember I asked Hisham to buy me some when he went for a family holiday there. I think it is a country one must visit; especially after my favourite trilogy : Lord of the Rings.

This is a picture you have seen in my earlier entry dated 28 January 2008. You can click here to see it: Click click.

I have taken the side profile picture of the magnetto. The player is actually leaning forward, so it is a perfect 'doll' of a player, the full body, except fore the shoes which are embedded into the big rugby ball at his feet, where the magnet piece is attached.

Where from: New Zealand
When: 2005
Who: Hisham Albakri Abu Bakar
Wow Factor: #87 REVISIT

Ellie The Elephant

Here's a decapitated man on an elephant. It was intact when Izwan brought it home but over the years, it fell off the fridge door several times and hence the headless man. I treasure it too much to discard it. So it shall stay in my collection.

Where from: Thailand
When: 2004
Who: Izwan Ismail
Wow Factor: #320

Here's just the face of the elephant. It is a wooden magnet. Details (of the elephant skin) is fabulous. But it is dull due to the colour.

Where from: Thailand

When: 2005

Who: Izwan Ismail

Wow Factor: #321

This is a fridge magnet featuring a very lucky man. Why? Cos he still has his head intact!

Where from: Thailand

When: 2005

Who: Izwan Ismail

Wow Factor: #322

Wood Stork?

I think the big birdie featured in the magnet below is a wood stork. Quite popular in Florida. They have this bird at the Everglades National Park in Florida and they think it is an excellent messenger of the past, present, and future.

Like the wood stork, the Everglades ecosystem is now endangered. Storks were once more abundant in the southern Florida wetlands than in any other region throughout the southeastern states. The wood stork should thrive in the Everglades and Big Cypress because it is a specialized species that does best in tropical and subtropical zones with distinct wet season - dry season climates.

A stork locates food, mostly small fresh water fish, not by sight but by groping with its bill in shallow water. This feeding technique is most effective when water levels are dropping throughout broad marshes as a result of prolonged dry periods, and fish are being concentrated in ever-diminishing pools. Wanna know more? Go here.

Where from: Orlando, Florida
Where now: Office
When: 2005
Who: Izwan
No. 176

New York Skyline

This magnet featuring the NY skyline (with the twin towers intact) when the flight Izwan boarded made a transit in New York from Florida. Where from: New York
Where now: Home
Who: Izwan
When: 2005
Number: 174

Whale Watch

This magnet from Kaikoura New Zealand was one of the magnets I had asked Hisham to buy during his family trip to NZ.

And below are the pictures of the Kaikoura beach/skyline.

Where from: Kaikoura, New Zealand

Where now: Home

Who: Hisham Albakri

When: 2005

Number: 167

Tuk Tuk

This is a Phillipines' tuk tuk. Philippines constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometers (116,000 sq mi). It generally lies between 116° 40' and 126° 34' E. longitude, and 4° 40' and 21° 10' N. latitude, and borders the Philippine Sea on the east, the South China Sea on the west, and the Celebes Sea on the south. The island of Borneo lies a few hundred kilometers southwest and Taiwan directly north. The Moluccas and Sulawesi are to the south, and Palau is to the east beyond the Philippine Sea.

My brother in law went there and brought this home.

Where from: Manila, Phillipines
Where now: Home

Who: Adif Ismail
When: 2005
Number: 164

Rodeo Driven :-)

Izwan brought this home from his trip to Los Angeles (again- I dubbed LA as his kampung) several years back. It was during this trip that he went to Rodeo Drive for the first time. Jalan-jalan cuci mata, of course. Not sure if we can afford the stuff sold in the boutiques along the road; even during discounted sales hehe! What's there anyway? Heck, it is one of the most expensive shopping districts in the world, generally refers to a famous three-block long stretch of boutiques and shops in Beverly Hills. Ok, try say these in one breath (with correct pronounciation): famous retailers include Giorgio Armani, Baccarat, Bang & Olufsen, Badgley Mischka, Bally, Bottega Veneta, Bijan, Brioni, BVLGARI, Buccellati, Burberry, Brooks Brothers, Cartier, Celine, Chanel, Christian Dior, Coach, DeBeers, Dior Homme, Dolce & Gabbana, Domenico Vacca, Ermenegildo Zegna, Escada, Fendi, Frette, Gucci, Gucci jewelry, Guico, Gianfranco Ferre, Harry Winston, Hermès, Judith Ripka, Juicy Couture, Lacoste, Lana Marks, La Perla, Louis Vuitton, Max Azria, Michael Kors, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman, Tiffany & Co., Tod's, Van Cleef & Arpels, Valentino, Versace and Yves Saint-Laurent. (Thank you, Wikipedia) Here's a pic of the four of us at Rodeo Drive; near a posh restaurant where the mat saleh reception fella can speak malay. Pic taken in 2006.

Where from: Los Angeles, California

When: 2005

Who: Izwan

Where now: Home

Number: 142

Pretty, Huge & Smelly

Where from: Sabah, Malaysia
When: 2005
Who: Self
Where now: Home
Number: 131

I bought this during a family trip to Sabah - the entire family with my nephew & niece (Faris & Farah), my parents in law and my bro-in-law Adif. Wikipedia told me that the plant has no stems, leaves or true roots. It is an endoparasiteof vines in the genus 'Tetrastigma" , spreading its root-like haustoria inside the tissue of the vine. The only part of the plant that can be seen outside the host vine is the five-petaled flower.
And it's huge. I have never seen it in real life but they say the flower may be over 100 cm in diameter, and weigh up to 10 kg. Even the smallest species, R. manillana, has 20 cm diameter flowers.

But I really don't mind not seeing it as it looks and smells like rotting meat, hence its local names which translate to "corpse flower" or "meat flower" (think of the smelly so-called 'fresh chicken' I bought in Carrefour a couple of months back. Even the girl at the counter wanted to puke).

But hey, now we all have learnt something about the gigantic flower, eh?

Hollywood

In 2005 Izwan went to Pheonix Arizona for work. After that, he took a short break in Los Angeles, and bought this magnet alongside the Walk of Fame. He also took these other pics (and obviously a passerby had helped taking a picture of him!)
Traveling there isn't complete without showing proof that you've been to Beverly Blvd.
And the Guinness World of Records outlet at Walk of Fame.
And Rodeo Drive, a place that sells thing we can't really afford.

Where from: Hollywood, Los Angeles

Where now: Home

Who: Darling

Number: 124

When: 2005

Dolphins from Florida

Florida is a state located in the southeastern region of USA. Most of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico on its west and the Atlantic Ocean on its east. Much of the state has a humid subtropical climate; southern Florida has a tropical climate.

Where from: Orlando, Florida

Where now: Home

When: 2005

Who: Izwan

No. 118

Height: 4095.2 Meters

I bought this one at the hotel sounvenir shop, in Kundasang. Here's the view of Moubt Kiabalu from the hotel area.

Where from: Kundasang, Sabah

Where now: Home

Who: Self

When: 2005

Number: #106

Caprice Fern

Here's another one from New Zealand, courtesy of Hisham. It's Skyline cable car in Queenstown, New Zealand. Here's a picture of the cable car; in the country I'd love to visit.

Where from: Queenstown, New Zealand

Where now: Home

Who: Hisham Albakri

When: 2005?

Number: 96

Gondola Quick Stats
Bottom Terminal Elevation: 340m
Top Terminal: 790m
Vertical Rise: 450m
Total Length: 730m
Incline Angle: average of 37.1 degrees
Average Speed: Variable to 3.5m/sec
Capacity: 700 people/hour in twenty six - 4 person cabins
Operating Hours: Open daily from 9.00am until late

The best vistas in the region are found there in Queenstown, spread out in a spectacular 220 degree panorama. Numerous observation decks around the complex offer breathtaking views of Coronet Peak & The Remarkables, over Queenstown and across Lake Wakatipu to Cecil and Walter Peaks. Truly magnificent and awe-inspiring. Bila la nak gi nih?

Rising Pheonix

Izwan went to Pheonix Arizona to cover a seminar that was held there. And the picture blow is just to prove it.

Number: 95

Where from: Pheonix, Arizona

Where now: Home

Who: Izwan

When: 2005

Arizona is located in the Western United States as one of the Four Corners states. Arizona is the sixth largest state in area, after New Mexico and before Nevada. Of the state's 118,000 square miles (306,000 km²), approximately 15% is privately owned. The remaining area is public forest and park land, recreation areas and Native American reservations.

The Lost City

Number 92 is the Lost City, South Africa. Thanks to Adif who went there for an official trip in August 2005. Here's a pic of Adif; unfortunately not taken in South Africa, but in Sabah instead; in the same year.
Where from: South Africa

Where now: Home

Who: Adif Ismail

When: 2005

All Blacks

Number 87 is a rugby player from New Zealand. Thanks to Hisham. I've been trying to look for a pic of Hisham to paste up here but can't seem to find any la. Tak pe, I'm sure someone can send me a picture of him doing aerobics from a few years back heheh

Where from : New Zealand

Where now: Home

Who: Hisham Albakri

When: 2005

No: 87

Memories of Manukan

This FM featuring a pair of sea turtles was purchased somewhere between Kundasang and Kota Kinabale. One of the stops we made along the road; buying lots of fresh vegetables and adoring all sorts of Sabahan souvenirs and ornaments.

Here's a pic of Izwan and four children at the One Hundred Acre Wood in Kundasang.

Where from: Sabah, Malaysia

Who: self

When: 2005

Where now: Home

# 62 - and the trip was in early July 2005.

It Glows In Darkness

This #59 is also a souvenir. Onn bought this glow-in-the-dark fridge magnet during his trip to Tioman several years ago.

In the 1970s, TIME magazine selected Tioman as one of the world’s most beautiful islands.
Apart from its diverse marine life, the inland rainforest area, encompassing approximately 12,383 hectaries, in Tioman is a strictly enforced nature reserve. There are several protected species of mamals on the island, including the Binturong. Long Tailed Macaque, Slow Loris and mousedeer from a total of 45 species of mammals and 138 species of birds, including the majestic frigatebird. Moreover, Tioman has species that are endemic to its shores. The soft-shelled turtle and the Tioman walking catfish are both unique and can be seen on rainforest walks.
`
Where from: Tioman Island, Malaysia
Who: Mohd Onn Marzuki
When: 2005
Where now: Home
`
Personally, I've never been to Tioman. Would love to, some day soon. Here's a pic of Onn with Izwan at a recent event he had for his friends recently.

The Kiasu One

#57 was bought by Izwan, about the only working trip to Singapore where he did buy fridge magnets. He bought a total of three. Yes, if you have been reading this blog of mine, this is the same visit where he stayed at the Fullerton Hotel.

The only pics I could find on this trip to Singapore is a series of aeroplane pictures Izwan must have taken for Hafiz. Hafiz was then so into aeroplanes, be it commercial planes or even jet fighters. He takes it after his daddy and his late grandpa.

Where : Singapore

Who: Izwan

When: 2005

Where now: Home

FYI, during the same month, Hafiz celebrated his second birthday with a chocolate moist cake, decorated with a die-cast fighter plane:And to think now he is in kindergarten!!

Mountain Peak

#56

Bought this one of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. The trip we took from 1 to 5th July 2005. We stayed in Kundasang for 2 nights, where the peak on Mount Kinabalu was visible from the hotel room itself.

My kids call the place "One Hundred Acre Wood". It was a good trip; it was together with my late father in law, my mother in law, my brother in law Adif and Elin's children; Ayish & Yayah.

Where: Sabah, Malaysia

When: 2005

Who: Self

Where now: Home